The Rockland County Journal was founded on August 3rd, 1850 by William G. Haeselbarth. The motto on the masthead was "Light More Light," a strong reflection of the enlightenment principles on which the United States was founded and also thought to be the last words of the German writer and philosopher Goethe.

In 1867 Haeslebarth sold his paper to John Charleton. In the year 1878, Frank Green wrote a series of twenty-four articles for the paper entitled "Notes on Nyack" which were drawn largely from recollections by the older residents of the community. In 1886 he published his History of Rockland County and that same year John Charlton sold the newspaper to Green. On April 1, 1886 Frank B. Green took over as proprietor and editor and contributed two columns each week which he entitled "Jottings from the County and Elsewhere." Green died in October of 1887.

The next editor and proprietor of the newspaper was Adam C. Haeselbarth who owned the newspaper until January 1891 when the Helmle Brothers (George B., Joseph P., and William H.) took over the paper. In 1915 when the newspaper ceased publication it was published by The Journal Publishing Company, a New York Corporation - M.B. Patterson was the President and Editor.

The Rockland County Journal was a weekly newspaper since its inception in 1850. Daily newspapers began publishing in Nyack in the late 19th Century and the Rockland County Journal's daily counterpart, The Nyack Evening Journal (1889-1928), undoubtedly had a hand in the weekly's demise.